Overnight candle sparks fire, destroys part of church building in Kwara

A section of a church building in Ilorin, Kwara State, was damaged by fire in the early hours of Tuesday after a candle reportedly left burning overnight ignited combustible materials within the premises.

The incident occurred around 6:18 a.m. at Christ Celestial Church of God, Ife Oluwa, located in the Tanke area of Ilorin.

The fire affected four rooms in the boys’ quarters before emergency responders brought the situation under control.

According to a statement by the spokesperson of the Kwara State Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle, firefighters responded swiftly to a distress call and successfully contained the blaze.

Adekunle said the quick intervention prevented the fire from spreading to other sections of the church as well as nearby buildings, limiting the extent of the damage.

Hassan explained that preliminary investigation pointed to human negligence involving an unattended candle as the source of the outbreak.

He said, “On Tuesday, 23rd June 2026, at about 06:18hrs, the Kwara State Fire Service responded to a fire outbreak at Christ Celestial Church of God Ife Oluwa, located opposite UMCA Chapel, along Chapel Secondary School, Tanke Area, Ilorin, Kwara State.

“The incident involved the boys’ quarters of the church premises, where four (4) rooms were affected by the fire,” it added.

The spokesperson further noted that the fire was triggered by a candle left burning overnight, which came into contact with flammable materials inside the room.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the fire was caused by a candle left burning overnight to illuminate one of the rooms. The candle flame ignited nearby combustible materials, which led to the fire outbreak,” Hassan said.

According to him, firefighters acted swiftly upon arrival and brought the situation under control before it escalated.

“Upon arrival, firefighters swiftly engaged the inferno and successfully contained it, preventing further spread to other parts of the church premises and surrounding structures,” he stated.

Reacting to the incident, the Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Alabi Muhammed, warned residents against the use of open flames in enclosed or unattended spaces, stressing the importance of fire safety precautions.

He said, “Members of the public should avoid leaving naked flames such as candles unattended, especially overnight or in enclosed spaces.”

“People are advised to adopt safer alternative lighting sources and ensure that combustible materials are kept far away from open flames,” he added.

The fire service reiterated its commitment to safeguarding lives and property through rapid emergency response and continuous public enlightenment on fire prevention.

The incident adds to a series of recent fire outbreaks in Ilorin, including a June 14 blaze that destroyed a containerised supermarket along Lubcon Road in the Mandate Area after a spark from a high-tension electricity line.

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